The Valley Worsted Mills were founded on this site in 1842, but the original mill building was destroyed by fire and a new one built in 1866. By 1868 they were producing 2,000 pounds of worsted yarn per day, and by the 1890s they were producing 100,000 pounds per month. The mills were sold to the American Woolen Company in 1899 (along with at least 4 other mills in Providence), who ran them until 1928 when they were abandoned. After that, the buildings were leased to a variety of tenants, including artists who used them as cheap live/work/event space.
The redevelopment of Eagle Square in the early 2000s was the first project meant to revitalize the Valley District with the restoration of historic mill buildings. However, it was a highly controversial project, as it displaced local artist communities like Fort Thunder and only salvaged a small handful of the existing mill buildings. The original plan was actually to level the entire site, but after strong opposition from the community, the developers agreed to preserve a few of the original 16 structures and design their new construction to fit in with the mill style. Only 4 of the 10 buildings within the shopping complex are restored mill buildings. The remainder of the original buildings on the property were demolished to make way for new construction and parking lots for a shopping plaza that never really managed to take off.
A small section of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway (WRG) bike path runs through Eagle Square, winding along the banks of the river in 3 slightly disjointed segments, including past the headquarters of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) who develop and maintain the greenway / bike path. St.HartDaughter has always been intrigued by this quirky little juxtaposition of biking and nature within a parking lot, and hopes that others will appreciate it too. If you choose to walk to or from my other nearby caches, follow the path on your geocaching map (or look for the WRG / Bike signs and remember to stay close to the river), or else you may just find yourself wandering through the parking lot.
Parking:
You may park in the unreserved section of the grocery store lot to access the WRG in Eagle Square.